CHAPTER 13: RUDY'S INN AND BAR
V ran a little more than she had expected before she arrived in the town. It was brightly lit and was a little crowded. She was in a market of some sort, people selling different things all around her. She could hear cheers and cries of excitement.
The directions she had gotten explicitly said, at the edge of the market, she would see a rickety old inn with the name 'Rudy's Inn and Bar' boldly written on it. She should step into the bar and ask for Dewdrop.
She stopped walking and looked around. There were stalls and shops all around, and a lot of people gave her odd looks. She half expected them to approach her but none did. She wanted to avoid drawing attention to herself but finding Deedee was important.
She walked in corners and tried to keep out of the crowded areas. Soon enough she got to the end of the market. The path was darker and it easily showed that something was lurking around the bend she was about to take but she wasn't the least worried.
The dark part opened to a street. She looked left and right, wondering about the next path to take. As she stopped, uncertain, she noticed there was a building directly in front of her. She looked up and the sign was bright enough for her to read but in the night light, she could see a few letters out of the ones she was supposed to look out for.
She adjusted her swords and walked straight, prepared for the worst. She could hear sounds from the building as she walked. Voices talking and cheers. It sounded a little too rowdy for her liking.
It also was the sort of place Deedee would be in. She got to the front and pushed the doors open. It opened easily and she walked in. For about half a second she was blinded by the light until her eyes adjusted.
V's eyes did a quick scan of the space. There were at least seventeen men spread across the various tables. Two had women sitting on their laps while the rest of the women totaled five. Four were waitresses while the remaining one stood behind the counter.
V felt everything stop as she walked in. Conversations, drinking, and even the movements of the waitresses. She ignored the glares and locked her gaze with the counter girl who immediately brought her head down.
V sighed if there was anybody to ask the waitress would be the right person. She took a step and she heard footsteps followed by, "How can I help you?"
V turned to her right and locked eyes with a timid-looking girl. She didn't look a day over sixteen but V could tell she was older. She had long light brown hair and a bright smile. She was holding an empty tray which she held vertically.
"I am looking for…" she paused. She was not sure if the name was something she could say out loud but the directions didn't say anything about being secretive. "Dewdrop."
As soon as the word left her mouth, V saw at least six of the men stand to their feet just as a slight gasp left the waiter's lips. She frowned and turned her gaze forward just in time to see an ax heading straight for her.
She moved her head to the left and the ax pierced the door. The maid let out a slight scream but quickly covered her mouth. She immediately fled from the scene. V noticed all the women did the same.
She locked her gaze on the shorty that had thrown the ax. He was at least a full foot shorter than her. He looked proud that she had been able to dodge it. She was not amused and she didn't try to hide it.
Her expression changed and the man staggered a little at the menace coming out of her but he quickly recovered and covered it up with a creepy smile. His dusty yellow teeth made him even less appealing.
She heard movements as the nearest man began to approach her. He had a smile that she wanted to wipe off. She didn't know what this was about but there was no doubt that she would find Dewdrop here. The maid's expression had told her that she had come to the right place.
He pulled out his sword and stretched it at her. He wiggled his brows and chuckled. He tossed the sword from one hand to another as he walked closer. V could tell from his movements that he had combat skills. If he was not drunk she might have needed her swords.
He thrust the sword at her and she moved out of the way. He grinned and took a step back and rushed forward bringing the sword down at full force. V closed the gap between them, completely evading his attack, bent a little, and punched upwards with all her strength, catching him in the jaw.
The swordsman froze and his sword fell from his hand. His eyes rolled up and immediately fell backward onto his back. Cheers erupted from the men and she saw three more stand to their feet.
This was bad, if they all attacked at once she would not escape unscathed. She might even lose, she was exhausted and had eaten nothing but fruits all day.
The shorty that had thrown the ax walked forward, she didn't move. He walked past her, V didn't want to attack anybody that didn't attack her first even though he had attacked her before he was not currently attacking her now.
It was a little hard to keep her gaze on the men in front of her and the one that just went behind her. She swore when she saw him pull out the ax from the corner of her eyes. The other men standing were also pulling out weapons. What was the meaning of this? She wondered.